Landlocked by storm

By Tania Martin
WAYNE Towers has accused Cardinia Shire Council of discrimination, claiming his calls for help have been ignored.
The Cockatoo man said the recent storms (6 March) which lashed the region had left him trapped after the downpour washed away part of his driveway.
He believes the council should be fixing the problem because the water gushed into his property from council roads (Caroline Avenue and Bell Street).
Mr Towers said he contacted the council but had not received a response.
He believes the council was ignoring his complaint after he recently labelled them as ‘environmental pigs’ over an issue with rubbish adjacent to the Cockatoo Creek.
Mr Towers told the Mail earlier this month that a stormwater flush had left rubbish in the area.
He said it had been a problem for more than 15 years and that ‘pigs’ would be cleaner than the council. But shire spokesman Paul Dunlop said the council always followed up legitimate concerns from residents.
“We value residents’ opinions and are committed to open, honest, and two-way communications,” he said.
Mr Towers said the storms had left him unable to get his car out of his driveway.
He said water from Caroline Avenue had flooded his driveway, washing away the gravel and leaving a drain pipe at the top exposed.
It’s the drain pipe that is the problem, as it now sits approximately 10 centimetres above the rest of the driveway.
Mr Towers said his car couldn’t reverse over this bump, leaving him trapped in his driveway.
He suffers from back problems and his wife has recently had a shoulder operation. Mr Towers said his only way to get to the doctor was by relying on his son.
“We just don’t know what to do and I have contacted the council but haven’t heard anything back,” he said. “It seems like they are being vindictive.”
Mr Towers said the storm had also left even more rubbish littering the land adjacent to the creek.
He said the council just didn’t seem to care.
But Mr Dunlop said Mr Towers had previously been advised to install a driveway culvert and obtain a road opening permit to help improve the situation.
“Due to the positioning of Caroline Avenue and Bell Street, it is at times difficult to avoid run-offs after rain and pipe clearing,” he said.
Mr Dunlop said property owners were responsible for ensuring the driveway culvert was of a sufficient size, located in the correct position and clear of debris.
He said council advised resident to have the culverts checked regularly and any debris removed, particularly following storm events. “Council may assist residents with culvert clearing as part of drain clearing activities happening adjacent to their properties,” Mr Dunlop said.